1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a planetary gear transmission which comprises three planetary gear trains with two elements of each of the planetary gear trains being directly or disengageably coupled to elements of the other planetary gear trains.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Planetary gear transmissions are widely used as automatic transmissions for automobiles or the like. Many conventional planetary gear transmissions comprise two planetary gears such as Ravigneaux gear trains, Simpson gear trains, or the like, which are combined with each other, and generally have gear positions up to a fourth forward gear position. To meet demands for more gear positions for improved running characteristics, there have been proposed transmissions having gear positions up to and more than a fifth forward gear position, and some of those proposed transmissions have already been in use.
Transmissions with an increased number of gear positions are disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 63-318349 and Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Publication No. 61-103654, for example. The disclosed transmissions comprise two planetary gear trains each combined with three clutches and three brakes, and have six forward gear positions and one reverse gear position. Since only two planetary gear trains are employed, the disclosed transmissions may share components with conventional planetary gear transmissions. However, the disclosed transmissions are complex in transmission control because they cannot avoid gearshifts which require two engaging means (a clutch and a brake) to be disengaged and two other engaging means to be engaged at the same time.
For example, when the disclosed transmissions effect a gearshift from the second gear position to the third gear position or a gearshift from the third gear position to the second gear position, it is necessary for the transmission to disengage one clutch and one brake and also to engage another clutch and another brake.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publications Nos. 59-222644, 1-320361, and 1-320362, for example, disclose planetary gear transmissions each having three planetary gear trains. In the disclosed planetary gear transmissions, two elements of each planetary gear train are mechanically coupled to elements of the other planetary gear trains, and three or four clutches and three brakes are combined with the planetary gear trains. The disclosed planetary gear transmissions have five forward gear positions and one reverse gear position which can be selected by controlling the operation of the engaging means (i.e., the clutches and the brakes). More specifically, each of the gear positions can be selected by engaging two of the engaging means, and any gearshifts between adjacent ones of the five forward gear positions can be accomplished by disengaging one engaging means and engaging another engaging means. Therefore, controlling the disclosed planetary gear transmissions is relatively simple.
However, the planetary gear transmissions each with three planetary gear trains require many engaging means, i.e., six or seven engaging means, in order to establish the desired gear positions. Use of the many engaging means results in a greater transmission size and a more complex transmission structure, and reduces the power transmitting efficiency of the transmissions due to the resistance presented to rotation by the engaging means. Another problem with the above planetary gear transmissions is that a planetary pinion supported on a carrier rotates at a considerably higher speed than an input member (e.g., at a speed which is five or six times the speed of the input member) in certain gear positions (e.g., LOW and 2ND ranges), and, as a result, the planetary pinion may not be sufficiently lubricated.